Drama 101
by Antonia.Maria
Summary: Forced into a drama class for a new semester in school, Naruto is anything but excited to go. He finds himself stuck in the school play Romeo and Juliet, where he takes forbidden love to the next level. But is any of it real, or are they just acting? NxS


**Drama 101**

**Summary:** Forced into an acting class for the new semester, Naruto is anything but excited to take drama, especially once he finds his rival and school star, Sasuke, there as well. As the year goes by, their class puts on a production of Romeo and Juliet, and everyone has to audition. Naruto is surprised to see he lands a lead role... as Juliet! With Sasuke as his Romeo they take 'forbidden love' to a whole new level, but is any of it real, or are they just acting?  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or any of the works mentioned in the story (noted by _italics_)  
**Warning:** DRAMA! DUN DUN DUN! Seriously though, there will be lots of yaoitastic smut. LOTS! ^^  
**Authoress:** Well, here we go, a brand new story to delight my readers. I probably got inspired by my own acting class during school to write this, except in school, there was no sexy yaoi or Naruto. This is just a short chapter, I promise you they'll get longer as the story goes on. Chapters will probably be posted sporadically, since I have other works to finish up. I don't want to bite off more than I can chew, but it all depends on what my readers demand! Our main pairing on the menu is SasuNaru, but I'm throwing in little yaoi treats with other characters, like a lil GaaraNaru, KibaNaru, and NejiNaru. I hope you all enjoy!

"Welcome, oh studious pupils of the art of thespianism, to Drama 101!"

Naruto let his head drop and hit the desk with a sigh. It was his first day in the class and he was already sick of it. He'd wanted to take something masculine and tough, like woodshop or PE, but his guidance counselor had dumped him into acting for the semester instead. He'd said it would help Naruto with his social skills, which the blonde did not understand one bit. His social skills were fine, thank you very much.

So now, he was stuck in a room with the girliest men and the snootiest women, not to mention the school's wackiest and possibly flaming gay teacher, for one hour of his day, every day, for the rest of the year.

"I know we are going to have a fantastic year together! First, let us go around and give introductions." The over exuberant Green Beast of the teaching staff announced, jumping up onto the stage. "You will give your name, grade, and one interesting fact about yourself! I shall go first!" Half the students in the class groaned simultaneously, including Naruto. "My name is Gai, and I will be your guide through your magical journey of the performing arts this semester. An interesting fact about myself is that I once ran twenty laps around the school," he paused dramatically, "on my hands!"

A few kids clapped unenthusiastically, but most everyone had their heads down, trying to snub everything else around them. Unaffected by the lack of life in the room, Gai flashed a thumbs up sign before leaping actively off the stage.

"Alright then, now that you know how it's done, let's get a volunteer!"

Not a single hand was raised. Some of the students were even afraid to breathe; even the slightest of movements would catch his eye and seal your fate.

"Aha, you there! Yes, please stand up, charming young man!"

"Gai Sensei, you already know my name."

"Why, so I do Neji, but the rest of the class doesn't!"

Placidly, Neji took the stage.

"My name is Neji Hyuuga, I'm a junior, and there is nothing interesting about me." He explained quickly and with little emotion. He went to take his seat, but Gai cried out to him.

"No, no, no! Where is the feeling? Where is the passion? Do it again Neji, and don't be afraid to get crazy with it!" The bushy browed man directed. The veins were already popping out of Neji's head, and if looks could kill, Gai sensei would have been vaporized into nothing more than a pile of green ash.

"My name is Neji Hyuuga, I'm a junior," he began in his low, slightly monotonous voice, but Gai shot him a warning look, "and there is nothing interesting about me." He finished with the tiniest amount of inflection in his voice. Gai applauded him while the stoic boy took his seat.

Naruto felt like he was slowly dying. This class would be the bane of his day, and lucky him, it was his first class of the morning. Behind him, a student propped their legs up on his desk, his shoes right on either side of the blonde. Annoyed, he turned around to confront this punk, but was silenced by a growl from Kiba, whom he recognized from his third period physics class.

"My name is Ino Yamanaka, I'm a junior, and something interesting about me is that I'm going to be model when I'm done with high school!" The willowy blonde exclaimed vapidly, earning her a standing ovation from their teacher.

One after the other, the students accepted their inevitable doom and took the stage for their introductions. So far, Naruto knew everyone that had spoken, including Kiba, Sakura, and Gaara, who hadn't said much at all and had instead silently glared at the whole class for a few minutes before sitting down again.

"Oi, knuckle head, it's your turn." Kiba nudged the blonde in the back with his shoe. Irate, fatigued, and simply wishing for an end to this torture, Naruto shoved Kiba's legs off of him before reluctantly taking the stage.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I'm a junior and one day, I'm gonna be-"

"Wonderful! Brilliant! Exceptional! You have the spirit of a true actor within you, my young whiskered ward!" Gai zealously interrupted, jumping to his feet and waving his arms elatedly. Grinning sheepishly, Naruto stepped quickly off the stage and hurriedly took his seat. Kiba gave him an encouraging kick in the back, earning a huff from the bashful blonde.

"Watch it, dog breath." Naruto threatened jokingly, spinning in his seat to face the tattooed brunette behind him.

"Hey, I'm simply appreciating your fine acting skills." He retorted with a toothy smirk. Abashed, Naruto faced forward again, just catching the ending of Choji's introduction. Apparently, the guy could eat an entire three layer cake in under a half hour.

As the rest of class took their spots on the stage to speak, Naruto propped his head up on his hand and let his mind wander. His cerulean orbs scanned the classroom, distractedly searching for one of his friends that may have been hiding somewhere in a corner. To his dismay, all he could see were acquaintances. He and Neji only talked during calculus, and Gaara never talked to him at all, despite having English and World History with him. He sat with Tenten and Choji at lunch, but only because they were good friends with Shikamaru. He had once been paired with Temari for a business project, but he was positive that she hated him. He felt bad about not doing any of the work, but he wasn't going to be an entrepreneur, so that left a fiery Temari to pick up his slack.

On the bright side, the blonde realized, he was in class with the most beautiful girl in school, and all her friends as well. Sakura, Ino, and Karin were all very easy on the eyes, but Naruto had had his sights set on the gorgeous pinkette since freshmen year. If he was lucky, perhaps they would share a kissing scene during the semester.

While his hazy, sapphire eyes glanced around the room, they suddenly locked on to a face Naruto had wanted to ignore for over a decade. The cold, impassive pools of cobalt seemed to sense they were being watched, and flicked over from the stage to meet the blonde's gaze. Naruto felt a wave of electricity ripple up his spine as their eyes connected. He was instantly and unexplainably aggravated, and suddenly felt the need to punch that lazy smirk right off of his pretty face.

Their turbulent contact was broken when the other stood to take the stage, an easy smile that made women swoon still adorning his features. Naruto felt his annoyance escalate with every long, confident stride he took up the stairs until he was standing center stage.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha." He announced with perfect clarity and a cockiness that made Naruto's insides turn. "I'm a junior as well, and something interesting about me is that… Hmm, there are so many things to choose from that I simply cannot select one." He concluded with a supercilious grin while Naruto ground his teeth in irritation. Sakura openly sighed in admiration, as if the boy had just stated he had ended world hunger or saved the whales. Their teacher was practically wetting his pants in exhilaration.

"Fabulous, Sasuke! You have an overwhelming stage presence, but of course, I could expect no less from you." Gai praised, eyes glittering with restrained tears. "This is how it is done, my youthful scholars! Learn, learn from Sasuke!"

Naruto gave a very audible huff and rolled his eyes, earning him a cold scowl from the raven haired boy, who had taken his seat. The girls were still ogling at him as if he was the greatest thing since sliced bread, all because he had gotten into the school's lousy plays and was filthy rich. Big deal.

"Now that we are all friends," Sasuke and Naruto glared ardently at each other on queue, "we're going to run some practice scenes together." Their teacher explained, animatedly hopping up onto his desk and striking a pose one should never attempt while wearing a spandex suit. Ino, who had the misfortune of a clear view, blanched. "Get into pairs, and pick a scene. You have ten minutes to rehearse! Now, go forth into the springtime of your theatrical youth!"

Naruto realized quickly that nothing in Gai's last sentence made any sense to him at all. He watched with frustration as the female population swarmed to Sasuke's desk and began fighting over him like the trophy he was. A light tap on his shoulder brought him back to himself, and he turned to look at Kiba, who was nodding his head at the pile of papers.

"Sure." Naruto agreed simply, leading the way to the table with their scenes. He and Kiba browsed through the sheets, searching in vain for something that would not bruise their ego, shatter their masculinity, or make them look foolish. They could find no such scene, and eventually settled on a piece from _The Sting_. At least there was a little violence in it.

With papers in hand, the pair returned to their desks sullenly, reluctant to practice. They stared at their scenes awkwardly until Gai warned them about the encroaching time. Having only a few minutes left, they picked roles and began reading the lines. They were terrible, and Naruto knew it, but he was guessing that nobody else in class, save for the almighty Sasuke, would do any better.

Naruto wasn't surprised to find that his prediction had been accurate. As bad as he though he and Kiba were, everyone else was doing just as horrible, if not worse. Karin and Sakura, who had lost the battle for the revered Uchiha, completely butchered a scene from _Steel Magnolias_. The blonde had to cover his ears while Choji and Tenten trashed an emotional part of _Fiddler on the Roof_ with mangled words and gauche pauses, and could barely hear Neji's mediocre mumbling in a scene from _Arsenic and Old Lace_. His partner, Gaara, chose to glare at the audience again instead of reading his lines, leaving a pitiable Hyuuga to talk to himself in his hushed voice.

Eager to escape this brutal agony, Naruto excused himself to the bathroom. He lingered in the doorway, slightly curious as to which group was next. He inwardly groaned as Sasuke and Ino, the female champion, waltzed onto the stage. They were doing some sort of mushy love scene from _Antony and Cleopatra_, and he did not want to stick around and listen to all the girls coo over their idol. He turned to walk into the hallway, relieved to be free of this anguish.

"Alack, our terrene moon is now eclipsed; and it portends alone the fall of Antony!"

A voice like satin caressed Naruto's ears, halting him dead in his tracks. It reverberated inside his head like a beautiful, broken record, filling his insides with an almost tangible warmth. Intrigued, he spun around to face the stage. He could not decide if he was more shocked, pleased, or disgusted to find that the voice belonged to Sasuke.

"I must stay his time."

The blonde cringed as Ino's voice grated his ears like a nails on a chalkboard. It was rough, desperate, and fake, and he was positive that if she spoke one more time, his ears would start bleeding.

"To flatter Caesar, would you mingle eyes with one that ties his points?"

Sasuke's words flowed fluidly into an elegant and perfectly articulate speech, captivating the audience as he became Antony. Despite his previous annoyance toward the pale teen, Naruto had to admit, no matter how much he hated himself for it, that Sasuke was working some type of magic up there. He had never been to a school function in his life, and therefore had never seen the famed Uchiha at work. He almost regretted not attending the plays, only because Sasuke seemed so entrancing on stage. He had read a bit of Shakespeare for his English class, but never before had the words come so alive as when uttered by the stoic raven haired boy.

"Where hast thou been, my heart? Dost thou hear, lady?" Antony approached his Cleoptra, the raw emotion coursing unrestricted from him. Ino looked as if she was about to swoon. "If from the field I shall return once more," Sasuke turned from the girl, cobalt eyes locking onto Naruto's, "to kiss these lips, I shall return in blood."

All the air was silently expelled from Naruto's lungs as time seemed to slow down, almost stopping. He felt as if he had been punched right in the stomach and was left gasping for air. Sasuke was staring at him with such an electric intensity that he felt like he was burning up. His body went rigid under the scrutinizing gaze, and he could do nothing more than look back like a helpless animal caught in a trap. Had it been a trick of the light, or had Sasuke actually been giving him a sultry look?

The Uchiha boy broke the connection to take a shallow bow and pick up Ino, who had fainted in the heat of the moment. He did not look at the blonde boy again, not even acknowledging his presence in the doorway, as if the last moment had not even happened. Confused, and slightly embarrassed, Naruto hurried down the hallway to the bathrooms where the sound of applause was still perceptible.

When he returned, it was his and Kiba's turn to take the stage. He felt an alien sensation churning in his stomach, like his insides were being twisted into knots. He had no idea why he felt this way, but knew only that he didn't like it.

His scene went by in a blur of words and gestures. Kiba stumbled once, but easily recovered, continuing with his line as if it had never occurred. The blonde felt every pair of eyes in the room watching him, analyzing him, and it only fed the monster in his stomach. In particular, he knew Sasuke was staring at him. He could feel those sparks again, that creeping warmth he had felt earlier, and it did not fade away until they had finished their scene and left the stage in a hurry.

"Well done you two! Bravo, bravo!" Gai cried dramatically as he stood on his desk. "And well done all of you! But, that does not mean there isn't room for improvement." He looked around the room, the eyes under his bushy brows flying straight to Neji and Gaara. "Lots of it. But, fear not! I shall lead you through the treacherous path of the performing arts!"

Naruto put his head down with a groan. If this was how class was going to be everyday, he knew he would die before the end of the week.

With a few minutes left before class ended, Gai decided to cut his losses and give his students some free time. Immediately, the space around Sasuke's desk was filled with admirers of both genders, kissing his feet and singing their praises. The blonde could practically feel Sasuke's inflating ego from across the room.

"What a bastard. He needs a big piece of humble pie before his head explodes." He griped to himself. He heard a snicker from Kiba behind him, but before he could turn and address the brunette, a well manicured hand slapped his desk. Unfazed by the poor attempt of intimidation, he looked up.

"Don't say those kinds of things about Sasuke." Karin glowered at Naruto behind her glasses.

"Excuse me for speaking blasphemy about your precious theater god." The blonde snorted, propping his head up lazily into his hand.

"You're just jealous, Naruto, because nobody likes you." She replied snidely, hitting a sensitive spot within the blue eyed teen. "If you had that kind of talent, wouldn't you want to be admired too?"

Naruto hated to admit that she was right. Hell, he craved attention anyway, talent was beside the point. He was left devoid of an answer for her, but Kiba came to his rescue.

"Karin, why don't you stop kissing Sasuke's ass and start worrying about those hickeys on your neck?" He retorted, watching in delight as her eyes widened in panic. "You didn't do a very good job at hiding them. I hope Sasuke didn't notice."

Karin opened her mouth a few times, but words seemed to escape her. She settled on glaring at the duo before hurriedly walking towards the bathroom. Kiba and Naruto burst into chuckles as soon as she left, gaining the attention of some of the class, who stared back at them curiously.

"Good one dude." Naruto complimented the tattooed dog lover as his laughter died down.

"No problem. She's been a bitch for as long as I can remember, so it's about time someone told her off." Kiba shrugged nonchalantly, packing up his backpack. The bell gave a shrill ring, finally freeing the students from their morning torment. "See ya third period." He called over his shoulder as he fought with the class to squeeze out the door as rapidly as possible.

Naruto took his time zipping up his backpack, the sting of Karin's words still sore in his mind. He debated the issue mentally. He would be wrong in calling himself popular or anything of the sort, but he definitely had friends. He was positive they liked him too, or else they wouldn't put up with him. Shikamaru and Lee weren't ones to take shit lightly, and if he was ever a problem to them, they let him know. Hell, even Sai, the silent, moody artist wouldn't take any of his crap, and yet they still hung around him.

Nevertheless, he wanted recognition. Nobody had ever praised him for something he did. He had never felt that warm feeling of pride when you accomplish something great and everyone knows it. It was what he desired more than anything, yet it seemed to always escape him. Lingering in thought, Naruto did not notice that he had bumped into Sasuke on his way out the door.

"Sorry." He apologized lamely, looking up at Sasuke, trying with all his will to avoid direct eye contact. He still felt strange around the raven; his feelings of bitterness had taken the shape of something awkward and unsure. Whatever happened in that little moment they shared was simply too strange for words, and even stranger to think about. He did his best to put it far in the back of his mind."You did good in your scene." He added the compliment lightly, watching as a small grin came over Sasuke's features.

"Thanks. You're mediocre performance just might turn into something if you try." Sasuke answered with an air of conceit. Naruto felt, and most likely looked, as if he had been slapped across the face.

"Okay bastard, maybe no one taught you manners as a kid, but when someone says something nice about you, you're supposed to do the same." The blonde growled, stepping up into Sasuke's personal space. They were almost level in height, Naruto just slightly shorter, but that didn't make him any less daunting.

Sasuke traded his smile for a textbook smirk as he stood, unaffected by the angry blonde just inches away from him. Their eyes would meet briefly before Naruto forced his gaze elsewhere, only to return to Sasuke a few seconds later.

"I did say something nice. I said you have potential." The pale teen explained in a condescending tone, further grating Naruto's nerves. "You didn't expect to get on stage and be as great as me on your first try, did you? I hope you didn't, because that would make you appear even stupider."

"It's a good thing I don't care what you think then." The blonde spat indignantly, narrowing his blue orbs. "And I also don't care about acting. What pisses me off is your damn attitude." Now it was Sasuke's turn to look like he'd been smacked upside the head. The confident glimmer in eyes momentarily vanished, and his smirk lost its potency, but only for one faltering second.

"You're not the only person in this school who's good at something. Get over yourself." Naruto added venomously. He waited for Sasuke to burst into tears or punch him in the face. Something to let him know that the message had been received. Instead, he heard what he thought to be soft laughter before the taller boy turned around and walked down the hallway.

"You just may be a good actor yet, Uzumaki." Sasuke's cryptic last words echoed down the hall towards said fuming teen. Naruto growled low in his throat and took off in the other direction for his math class, kicking everything he could in his path. What a wonderful way to start the morning.

**Authoress:** Starting a new story is always scary for me because I never know what anyone thinks, so please tell me! Was this trash or treasure? I have the most wonderful plot set up, filled with lots of drama of course, just ready to type out for my readers. All I ask is for you to hit that review button once you finish reading. Go ahead, click it! Send me your love, hate, comments, suggestions, money, cookies, collectible snowglobes, or anything else you want! Check out some of my other work, and thanks again for reading!


End file.
